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Have you ever walked out of the gym, after a really hard workout, feeling like you deserve something really decadent?
Well, I have (more often than I'd like to admit); today actually.
It had to be chocolate, and I'm not sure why, but it had to be crunchy.
So I headed to Trader Joe's where I knew I could find all the ingredients I needed at a good price and rushed home to get to work. I didn't actually start out with the goal of making this granola gluten free. The Trader Joe's rolled oats that are the base of this recipe were gluten free, so I just kept the trend going.
What you'll need:
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup seeds or nuts (I used sliced almonds)
2 Tbsp flax seed
2 Tbsp oat bran
2 Tbsp chia seeds
3 Tbsp dark cocoa
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used a mix of raisins, cranberries, dried cherries and blueberries)
1/2 - 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Variation: replace the cocoa powder with 1-2 tsp cinnamon, and the chocolate chips with vanilla chips for a non-chocolate version.
What you'll do:
Before you get going: this granola ends up fine and crumbly and is great as a topping. If you want a chunky, eat-with-your-fingers type of granola, double the middle 5 ingredients (but beware, that's a lot of calories!) Doubling the "sauce" that gets stirred into the cereal before baking will encourage the cereal to stick together in little chunks. I worked out hard today, but not that hard.
Mix the oats, coconut, nuts, seeds, and bran together in a large bowl. In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over low heat -- doubling the amounts of this and the next 4 ingredients for a chunky, eat-with-your-fingers type of granola. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa, syrup or honey, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Pour over cereal mix and combine well. You may have to use your hands to make sure everything gets coated. Pour mixture into a large baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring at the half way point. Remove from the oven, stir again, and then allow to cool for at least a couple of hours. Once cooled, stir in the dried fruit and chocolate chips. Store in air tight containers to share or to keep.
Try it on oatmeal or yogurt for a delicious crunchy treat!
But if you're in need of a cookie...
have no fear.
Chocolate Granola Cookies
What you'll need:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup oat bran or almond meal (or flour, if gluten is okay)
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate granola
What you'll do:
Beat the butter and peanut butter together. Cream the sugar into the butters. Add egg and beat well. Mix in baking soda, baking powder, oat bran, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir in granola by hand and mix well. Scoop out cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.
Makes about 2 dozen large-ish cookies.